Thursday, February 7, 2013

You often hear people describe food as “sexy,” but I’ve
always believed it’s really more the occasion and company that makes a meal
sexy. Put your Valentine across a candlelit table, pour a couple glasses of
wine, and no matter what you serve up, sexiness will ensue.

Having said that, it certainly doesn’t hurt to hedge your
bets and serve up a naturally sensuous dish like this simple, but
sophisticated fish stew. This is great for you less than confident cooks, since
your timing doesn’t need to be that precise. Did I mention there’d be wine
around?

You can actually do everything ahead, up until adding the
fish if you want. Since the pieces will cook in between 5 and 10 minutes, when
you’re ready to eat, simply bring the mixture to a boil, add the fish, and
simmer until done. You can also hold the stew over very low heat for a good
15-20 minutes without major problems, in case, well, you know.

By the way, make sure you check and see if your dining
partner likes fish and wine, as this would be a horrible choice if they don’t.
If they do, you’re in business. Almost any type of fish or shellfish will work
in this, as well as any small, cute potatoes. Just don’t forget to peel the middles, as it's kind of a big deal. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Have you ever tried using clam juice as a substitute for the fish stock that nobody has? Or would that make this soup too clam-y? I wish I could get decent fish stock, but I can't find anyplace that sells fish cutoffs and the store-bought carton of it I got once tasted like someone had tried to imitate the taste of fish using only a chemistry set.

Hey CJ,hate to be one of "those"But,do you think salmon would be ok in this?I have steelhead too,but I don't really think of it as a stew fish.Hard for me to judge because I don't like fish,but love my fish eating husband.

The stew turned out wonderful with the addition of scallops. I cooked them most of the way before hand because I thought they might take longer to cook than the fish. We thoroughly enjoyed it. I will end up blending about half the potatoes next time I make this to thicken up the broth a little bit. Thanks again.

Following the snowstorm in New England, we just got our power back after 6 days of being without. So a lot of compromises were made in making this for Valentine's Day--and it was still totally wonderful, lick the bowl delicious.

And with Grand Marnier soufflés for dessert, I'm once again the resident domestic goddess.

I made this soup yesterday for a late valentines dinners. I used half chicken stock, half clam juice. I also substituted fish sauce for some of the salt. I used orange roughy instead of cod, simply because I couldn't find any cod. My girlfriend looked at me after she took the first bite like I was the most wonderful man alive! Thanks for the recipe, I am sure this will be a staple in my culinary repertoire for years to come!!!

@hunnybunnymunny - I personally wouldn't use salmon for two main reasons. First off its a pretty light soup and salmon is a pretty fatty fish. Second off salmon has a strong flavor, which could either clash or overpower the soup.

Oh man. I also love the salmon and leek pasta, so it's no surprise I love this too, especially since I couldn't resist adding creme fraiche instead of heavy cream. I used a fresh "ocean perch" that was absolutely fantastic, and even had the same color skin. Dead easy, and super fast. I'll make this a hundred times.

I have been making some of your recipes lately and every one of them has turned out amazing. This one was so delicious! The flavours are so subtle but the dish is anything but bland. I loved it and will definitely make this more often!

I've been happily working my way through Chef John's videos to relearn to cook, after cooking for my family for years, and this recipe is at the very tip-top of my "best of" list. Except...I can't get anyone else to try it, I think because of the name. (More for me, although the fifth night was one night too many for the tarragon.) I used fresh cod and the whole dish was SUPERB.